


Afflictions and Affections

by alecsangel (angel)



Series: Nine Lives [4]
Category: Dark Angel
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-10
Updated: 2006-03-10
Packaged: 2017-11-23 23:32:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/627753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel/pseuds/alecsangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec and Max become closer and Alec becomes injured yet again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Afflictions and Affections

~~! Crash !~~

Original Cindy observed Alec and Max as they sat, side by side at a table in the back corner of Crash. It was Sketchy's birthday and the transgenics had ventured out into Seattle to celebrate the occasion and to spend some time with their friends. Alec's arm was wrapped securely around Max, his hand rested on her hip. Her hand rested on top of his with their fingers loosely intertwined. Every so often she would give him a peck on the cheek or the lips. They were being very affectionate and OC wondered if something had happened between them that she didn't know about.

"Who wants to challenge the Sketchmeister in a game of pool?" Sketchy appeared to be oblivious to Max and Alec's position as he stood from his seat and pointed toward the pool tables.

Alec looked reluctant to leave Max. He was shaking his head with a grimace on his face. "I've beat your ass how many times? Don't you think it's time to give someone else a shot."

"Like who?"

Alec looked around the table to see both Max and OC shaking their heads at him. His eyes came to rest on Sandi, who had joined them for a night out on the town. In truth, she was hesitant about letting Alec go anywhere without proper medical supervision, and with good reason. Also, Alec had told her that she needed to get away from TC and have some fun before she forgot what the word meant. She couldn't resist his smile or his reasoning.

"Sandi, pal, friend, saver of my life," Alec knew that he was laying it on thick, but he really didn't want to leave Max's side, "why don't you give Sketch a run for his money tonight?"

Sandi looked stricken. She leaned forward and whispered, "Alec, I don't know how to play pool."

Alec grinned at her, "Don't worry. Neither does Sketchy."

Sandi grumbled as she got out of her seat and followed Sketchy to the pool tables. Alec, Max, and OC watched the game start and each placed a bet of twenty dollars on who they thought would win.

"Alec, Honey, why don't you go get us another pitcher of beer?" OC was dying to get Max alone so that they could discuss the new-found intimacy between her and Alec.

Alec pouted, tightening his hold on Max and burying his face in her hair. Max giggled, a sound that OC had never heard before. "The bar is right over there. You can see me the entire time and OC's right; we do need another pitcher."

"Fine, fine." Alec muttered, placing a kiss on Max's temple and sulking off to the bar with their empty pitcher.

"So, what's up wit' you and your boy?" OC scooted closer to Max to make sure she could hear all the details correctly.

Max giggled again, waving to Alec as he turned to look at them. "He is my boy, isn't he?"

"Oh, girl. You got it bad." OC shook her head before laughing to herself. She never thought she'd see the day when Max fawned over a guy, much less Alec.

Max nodded, sobering as OC's words reminded her of the talk that she and Alec had in the Med. Center. The talk that led her to tell him that she loved him. "We had an," Max paused, searching for the right word, "enlightening conversation a few days ago."

"And?" OC almost shouted when Max failed to go on.

"We hashed out a few things and now we're trying the love thing."

OC's jaw dropped at the mention of the "l" word. Max had never once mentioned "love" when she talked about Logan or anyone else for that matter.

"Max!" Alec exclaimed as he approached the table, a full pitcher in his hand. "Did you tell OC your secret? I thought we decided that you weren't going to tell her that you were having Normal's love child!"

"How can I have Normal's love child when I'm not the one he wants to have it with?" Max replied, smiling at him. She should have been furious with him for making such a statement, but she knew that he was just teasing.

"Ouch. That's a low blow." Alec placed a hand over his heart and grimaced.

"Ah, poor baby." Max cooed at him.

He leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers and whispering, "Baby? I think I could get used to that."

She laughed, pulling him into the chair beside her. OC rolled her eyes at them as Sandi and Sketchy returned to the table.

"So," Max asked,"who won the game?"

Sandi merely grinned while Sketchy muttered, "Pool Shark." Max and OC looked disgusted as they threw their twenty dollar bills at Alec.

Alec looked pleased as he stuffed the money into his pocket and checked the time on his watch. "I hate to say it, but we need to get back to TC."

"So soon?" OC asked, looking from Max to Alec and then back to Max.

"Yeah. We've got some things to look over before we meet with the senator tomorrow to talk about the rights of the transgenics." Max stood up and pulled her leather jacket on. She smiled sadly at OC and gave her best friend a hug. "Maybe we can hang out again this weekend."

"I'll keep my calendar open." OC replied, sad to see her friends leave.

"It was nice to meet you, Original Cindy," Sandi held out her hand for OC to shake.

"Good to meet you too, Boo." OC had taken a liking to Sandi, mainly because she was a good friend to Alec and Max.

"And, Sketchy, the pool was fun. Maybe we can do it again sometime?"

Sketchy smiled and nodded, "Sure, Sandi. Maybe I can get you next time."

Max and Alec laughed, but quickly stifled it. "This weekend. Same time, same place?" Alec asked, looking at each of his friends in turn. They all nodded back at him.

"Be careful, Boos." OC called to the three transgenics as they made their way to the door of Crash. Max waved back, acknowledging that she had heard her friend.

Alec, Max, and Sandi kept to the shadows as they walked toward TC. As long as they didn't run into any cops with thermal scanners, they would be fine.

Not long after hitting the streets, they passed a lingerie store advertising a 50% off sale. The trio stopped to view the window display as their attention were caught by both the sale and the numbers on the two mannequins. One mannequin was wearing a black sheer number, while the other wore a red lacy one.

"Hey Max," Ale said, smiling down at his girlfriend. "You'd look great in that black one."

"You really think so? I thought you'd be more of the completely-naked-who-wants-to-deal-with-lingerie type."

"They both have their appeal." He answered simply, wandering away as Max turned back to look at the display again.

Both Alec and Max were having fantasies about the other after their short interlude. For once, it seemed as if they shared a brain; they both had similar thoughts of a perfect evening.

It was so clear - the candlelight, the wine, the romance. Alec, having just finished showering, was now reclining in a deep brown leather chair sipping a glass of classic white Zinfandel. His hair was wet, slicked back, and he had on nothing but a pair of black silk boxers that looked as if he had been poured into it. The flickering flames of the candles danced across his sculpted chest accentuating the tan of his hard, lean, muscular body, making him look more golden, much like a Greek god or an Adonis. The occasional water droplets that were still present made him look good enough to eat.

Under his piercing green-hazel eyes, Max, slowly and gracefully like a model on a catwalk, made her way across the room. Gradually, her hands untied the sash to the black silk robe matching Alec's boxers, allowing it to slide gracefully to the floor. She stopped just a feet away from where Alec was, enticing him, and at the same time allowing him some space for inspection. Seeing the vision before him, Alec took a shaky breath. Max's small frame was accentuated perfectly by the black sheer mesh babydoll with a sequin lace hem and matching thong. With the glow of the fireplace, it was like playing peek-a-boo with Max's body. The sparkle from the piece hid some of her features at certain turns, while at other times, everything could be seen perfectly. The babydoll fit her like a second skin. The high cuts in the sides with the showing straps made Max look like a warrior set out to seduce her mate.

Max smiled at him mischievously, beckoning him towards her by slowly crooking her finger at him. She began to walk backwards towards the bedroom, teasing him with a turn here and there, as he stood up and gracefully moved in her direction like a panther stalking its prey. Alec had this wicked look in his eyes as he followed her. Finally, he caught up with her in the doorway and pulled her into his arms for a deep and sensuous kiss.

Alec's fantasy was broken by a gloved hand that clamped over his mouth, stunning him momentarily before jumping into action. He grabbed for the hand over his mouth to throw the attacker over his shoulder, but before he could complete the action he felt a sharp pain in his lower left side. The attacker took advantage of Alec's hesitation and threw him into a nearby wall.

Max was knocked out of her fantasy when both she and Sandi heard the commotion coming from Alec's direction. They both turned just in time to see a man dressed completely in black throw Alec into a nearby alley. They both winced when they heard the thud of Alec's body slamming against a brick wall, but it motivated them into action and they both blurred toward the attacker.

Alec lay on the ground, his chest heaving as he tried to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him on impact. He winced as he tried to sit up; his hand going to his left side. It came away soaked with blood. ‘Shit,' he thought angrily, ‘will the injuries never stop?'

"This is becoming a far too common occurrence for us," Sandi knelt beside him while keeping an eye on Max, who was fighting the attacker.

"Don't I know it," Alec replied, his attention focused on Max as Sandi's hands moved over his wound. He reached around to the back of his jeans with his right hand and drew his Glock, just in case Max couldn't take care of the guy fast enough for Alec's liking.

Max and the attacker danced around each other, aiming kicks and punches at the other, but none really connecting. Max feinted to her left, then came around with a kick aimed at the attackers head. He ducked at the last second and grabbed Max's leg, throwing her to the ground. She swept her legs out, knocking the man to the ground and bringing her foot down on his chest. The crack of breaking ribs filled the silence as Max jumped back to her feet. Unfortunately, the attacker didn't seem to notice as he too jumped to his feet.

They circled again, throwing punches at each other. Max's head rolled back as a vicious backfist connected with her cheek. She used the momentum to perform a backflip, kicking the guy under the chin as her feet lifted from the ground. He fell backwards and she dropped into a defensive crouch.

Alec used the opportunity to aim his Glock and take a shot at the attacker. The precise shot entered the man's temple and killed him instantly.

Alec leaned back into Sandi's arms as Max cautiously approached the body. She prodded it with her toe and was satisfied when it didn't move.

Hurrying over to where Alec and Sandi were still crouched in the darkness, she looked over them with concern.

"Is that blood?" She asked, referring to the dark substance spreading over Alec's white t-shirt.

"Give the girl a cookie." Alec commented dryly. Opening his eyes, he attempted to sit up but found Sandi's hand on his chest.

"Stay still."

"What happened?" Max asked, kneeling beside them and reaching out to where Sandi's hand was pressed against Alec's left side.

"He was stabbed."

"Stabbed?"

"When he grabbed me, he obviously knew what I was. He stabbed me in the side." Alec's eyes were closed as he spoke. He grimaced as pain radiated through his abdomen.

"Just relax, Alec. We'll get you back to TC." Sandi looked up at Max and nodded toward the body that lay a few feet away.

Max stood up and hurried over to the body. She threw it over her shoulder and tossed into the nearest dumpster. After covering it with a few boxes and some random trash, Max returned to where Sandi had just finished bandaging Alec's side with strips of his t-shirt. When she was finished, she pulled Alec to his feet.

"C'mon. We gotta get you back to TC."

"Hey," Alec opened his eyes and grinned goofily at Max, "there's two Maxes."

"What's wrong with you?" Max asked, lifting his arm and sliding under his shoulder to help support his weight.

Sandi looked worried as she scanned the ground around them. Her enhanced vision made it easy for her to spot the knife laying near the opening of the alleyway. "Max, grab the knife. See if there's something on the blade."

Max picked it up carefully and moved into the light of a nearby streetlight. She hurried back to Sandi and Alec, her expression grim. "There's something on it. I can't tell what it is though."

Sandi nodded slight and watched as Max removed her jacket and shirt, leaving the tank top that she was wearing underneath. She wrapped the knife in her outer shirt and tucked it into her jacket pocket as she pulled it back on.

"Let's go."

They moved as quickly as they could and made it to the perimeter fence of TC thirty minutes later. A well-concealed hole in the fence was their way back into the city. The original idea had been to jump the fence, but Alec was only semi-conscious by the time they made it to there. His breathing was labored and he had lost a lot of blood, despite Sandi's attempts to stop the bleeding.

"Did you get my cigars?" Mole asked, appearing by the sentry guard a few feet away.

"That's the hello we get?" Sandi asked, turning towards Mole who ran up to them as Alec sagged between the two girls, finally passing out completely.

"Alec!" Max exclaimed, guiding his body to the ground.

"What the hell happened?" Mole took the ever-present cigar out of his mouth and threw it down, moving to Alec's side.

"He was stabbed and drugged tonight. Some guy came out of the shadows." Max brushed a sweaty strand of hair out of Alec's face.

"Familiar?" Mole asked, kneeling beside Alec and preparing to lift him onto his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

"Be careful," Sandi interjected, watching Mole lift Alec. They started toward the Med. Center.

"He definitely could have been one of White's fellow idiots. He didn't seem to feel pain."

"There was only one?" Mole asked.

"Yeah. I thought that was strange myself."

"It's not strange," Sandi interrupted, holding open the doors of the Medical Center. "There was only one guy because he had a simple job: infect Alec with what-the-hell-ever is on that knife."

Max nodded her understanding as Mole gently deposited Alec onto a bed in exam room one. He stepped back as Sandi moved to Alec's side, taking his pulse and checking his temperature. She grabbed a needle and an IV line. Without looking up, she spoke, "Mole, Gila's around here somewhere. Find her for me. Max, you're going to have to transfuse him. The tubing is on the cart in the hallway."

~~! Two Hours Later - Room 494 !~~

Max watched over Alec as he slept from the comfortable armchair that Joshua had just brought her. He had found it in one of the old apartments earlier today and decided that she would be more comfortable in it. She had smiled and thanked him for the thought as well as the chair.

She looked up as Sandi entered the room, a clipboard in one hand and a thermometer in the other. Max waited patiently while Sandi checked him over. "So, how is he?" She asked, when Sandi sat down in the chair on the other side of the bed.

"His temperatures down. That's a great sign. He should recover in the next few hours."

"Have you determined what was on the knife blade?"

"Yes. It was a drug called, Amenocil. Dix hasn't been able to find any information about it, so fortunately, Alec, like all the X5's, has a high metabolism and the drug is now out of his system. I doubt that it will cause any lasting damage."

"Then why was it given to him?" Max didn't understand why White would go through all the trouble if the drug wasn't going to harm Alec.

"I'm not sure. Although, my best guess is that he was testing it. There aren't many transgenics out there to be captured and experimented on anymore. He had to resort to waiting for one of us to venture out into the city."

"But how would White find out the results of the ‘experiment?' And how would he know that we were leaving TC?"

"Max, wake up. Look around you. White has someone on the inside. He always does. Nothing's happened here in TC yet, but some day, White will be back and he'll know all of our moves before we make them."

Max was silent as she thought about what Sandi was saying. It was possible that White would have someone on the inside that could be feeding him information. It wasn't something that she wanted to think about right now. She sighed and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Sandi asked, slightly surprised that Max hadn't challenged her about her theory.

"To the Command Center. I need to let those that I trust know that there's a traitor in our midst."

"Max," Sandi placed a hand on the smaller woman's shoulder as she passed by, "I don't want this to be true anymore than you do, but it's where logic leads me."

"It's true. It has to be." Max looked back at Alec, looking completely vulnerable. "Will you stay with him until I get back?"

"Sure."

~~! Three Hours Later !~~

Alec awoke to find Max laying on the bed beside him, her arm draped loosely across his chest and her head pillowed on his shoulder. He shifted on the bed, gasping at the sudden pain in his left side and trying to find a comfortable position without waking her, but to his mild surprise, she wasn't asleep. She looked up, concerned brown eyes meeting his hazel gaze, and smiled. She brushed some hair out of his eyes and waited expectantly for him to speak..

He cleared his throat, murmuring, "Hi."

"Hey," she smiled. "Do you want some water?"

He nodded, reaching up to rub his throat as she moved off of the bed.

"How do you feel?" She asked, once he had drank a sufficient amount of the cool liquid.

"Like I've been in this bed way too much lately." He sighed, reaching out for her hand as she took a seat in an old, faded armchair beside his bed. He glanced from the chair to her and then back to the chair.

"Joshua brought it in for me a little while ago. He thought it would be more comfortable for me to watch over you in."

"That was nice of him. However, I can't help but notice that you made yourself comfortable on my bed."

"I couldn't sleep in the chair. I needed to be close to you." She responded, dipping her head down to kiss him softly on the lips. He reached a hand behind her head, preventing her from pulling away as he deepened the kiss.

Neither of them heard the door open, but were broken apart by the sound of someone clearing their throat rather loudly. Sandi tapped her foot and waited for them to pull apart. Alec grinned sheepishly at her, while Max smiled and returned her attention to Alec.

"I see that you've finally rejoined the land of the living." She couldn't help but smile at Alec. He was so resilient; he had survived so much in the past few months.

"Yeah, I'm still breathing."

"And that's a fact that never fails to amaze me every single day." Sandi replied, moving over to the bed and checking his pulse. She lifted the covers and the t-shirt that he wore to check the bandages over his stab wound. She frowned when she discovered that they were stained with blood and made a mental note to have Gila change them soon.

"You'd miss me if I were gone." Alec drew her out of her thoughts with his words and she replaced his shirt and his covers.

"True. Who would I put into room 494?"

"You didn't."

"Oh, yes, she did." Max walked over to the door and opened it, allowing Alec to see the numbers that had been added to the door in white paint.

Alec leaned back on his pillow and groaned. "That's a bad omen," he muttered.

"Bad omen, my ass. You're the bad omen, Hon." Sandi smiled at him, placing her hands on her hips to indicate that she wouldn't be backing down and removing the number from the door.

"Besides, it's practically your home away from home. I just gave it a suitable number."

Alec looked from the door to Max to Sandi and threw his hands up in the air. "I can't argue with that." He sighed deeply, snuggling into his covers as Max returned to his side. "I think I'm going to stay in this bed for the rest of my days. Nothing bad will happen to me here right?"

"Not as long as I'm here." She kissed his forehead and lay down on the bed beside him.

"Hey, guys!" Mole called from the hallway where he and Gila were passing by the still open door. Their clothes were in disarray and it appeared as if Gila's shirt was on backwards. "Thanks for the cigars!"

The three transgenics burst out laughing. "They seem to be getting closer." Alec commented, gazing down at Max.

"Oh, please. Somebody shoot me now." Sandi exclaimed, exiting the room and slamming the door behind her.

Alec and Max looked at each and laughed again. "We need to find her a date."

Max nodded at Alec's words, adding, "Soon. We need to find her a date soon."

"We'll work on that tomorrow. Tonight, we sleep." Alec pulled Max closer to him, closing his eyes and inhaling her familiar vanilla scent.

She wrapped her arms around him, carefully avoiding his left side, and rested her head on his chest, letting his steady heartbeat lull her to sleep.

~The End

**Author's Note:**

> Countless, very special thanks go to jt for writing the fantasy! (hint, hint: thank jt for the drooling/swooning session)


End file.
